Live Review: Young Dolph and Key Glock @ The Fillmore Silver Spring — 3/1/20

Posted on 03/05/2020 by shedrickpelt in Live Review and tagged hip hop, Key Glock, Memphis, rap, Tennessee, The Fillmore Silver Spring, trap, Young Dolph.

Young Dolph & Key Glock perform at The Fillmore Silver Spring on March 1, 2020. (Photo by Shedrick Pelt)

Class is in session! Welcome to the No Rules Tour, led by Memphis OG Young Dolph and his cousin-slash-protégé Key Glock. A trap-rap classroom that teaches us how to stay down for the homies, never forget where you came from, ask for forgiveness instead of permission, and above all else, KEEP IT REAL!

Almost a year removed from their 2019 street-certified surprise collaboration Dum & Dummer, a project inundated with gritty punchlines and witty banter over 22 tracks, the two Ten-a-key (Tennessee) rappers enthusiastically embarked on a nationwide tour with a stop here in the DMV recently at The Fillmore Silver Spring.

Live Review: Cam’ron @ Howard Theater — 2/20/20

Posted on 02/25/2020 by shedrickpelt in Live Review and tagged Cam'ron, Cameron Giles, Harlem, hip hop, Howard Theatre, New York City, rap.

Cam’ron (Killa Cam) celebrates the release of his album Purple Haze 2 at the Howard Theater on Feb. 20, 2020. (Photo by Shedrick Pelt)

Every community has its ghost, myths, and legends. Moments and people on the timeline, whether good or bad, that define the way of life for the folks that live there. More often than not the historians that safeguard these precious stories, re-envision them using soliloquies and rhyming quips to narrate the epic events.

England has William Shakespeare — and Harlem, New York, has Cameron Giles, aka Killa Cam.

Live Review: Jasiah @ Songbryd Music House — 2/15/20

Posted on 02/17/2020 by shedrickpelt in Live Review and tagged Jasiah, Ohio, punk, rap, screamo, Songbyrd Music House.

Jasiah performs at Songbyrd Music House on Feb. 15, 2020. (Photo by Shedrick Pelt)

On any given day, surrounding yourself with people who love and support your art will make even your wildest dreams seem attainable. That love can nurture your creativity and make even your darkest fantasies come true.

Live Review: EarthGang and Mick Jenkins @ The Fillmore Silver Spring — 2/12/20

Posted on 02/17/2020 by shedrickpelt in Live Review and tagged Atlanta, EarthGang, funk, Georgia, hip hop, Mick Jenkins, rap, soul, The Fillmore Silver Spring.

EarthGang performs at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Feb. 12, 2020. (Photo by Shedrick Pelt)

The most courageous and enlightening part about the journey of life is the opportunity to understand more about yourself and more about what you’re capable of achieving. Self reflection goes beyond merely listing the positives and negatives of your daily pursuit. You have to activate change. You have to “spread love,” and one of the best examples in hip hop of activating destiny is Atlanta rap duo EarthGang and their Welcome To Mirrorland Tour.

Live Review: DRUM TAO @ Strathmore Music Center — 2/7/20

Posted on 02/11/2020 by shedrickpelt in Live Review and tagged Drum Tao, drums, Japan, Strathmore, Strathmore Music Center, Tao.

DRUM TAO performs at Strathmore Music Center on Feb. 7, 2020. (Photo by Shedrick Pelt)

The drum, a percussion tool sounded by being struck with sticks or the hands, is one of the most recognizable and established instruments in any tribal community. You might say the drum is the heartbeat of the tribe. Those who wield it and those hypnotized by its depth are led to reach into their souls and find peace and harmony in the lowest of its tones.

Live Review: Lupe Fiasco @ The Kennedy Center — 11/14/19

Posted on 11/18/2019 by shedrickpelt in Live Review and tagged Chicago, hip hop, Illinois, Kennedy Center, Lupe Fiasco.

Lupe Fiasco performs at the Kennedy Center on Nov. 14, 2019. (Photo by Jati Lindsay)

To be resurrected is to be reborn, reinvented, reinvigorated — and not only in the physical form. Your soul too can reconnect with something you may or may not recognize you lost. As creatives, in an ever-changing DIY landscape, we are constantly tiptoeing the line between the life and death of our art. Luckily, our forefathers like Lupe Fiasco have made and taken the hits for us, making our paths a little less treacherous — as seen recently at the Kennedy Center.

Live Review: Yelawolf @ The Fillmore Silver Spring — 11/5/19

Posted on 11/12/2019 by shedrickpelt in Live Review and tagged Alabama, Badd Wolf, hip hop, rap, The Fillmore Silver Spring, The Outfit Tx, Wild The Coyote, Yelawolf.

Yelawolf takes a swig from a bottle of his Creek Water branded Whiskey at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Nov. 5, 2019. (Photo by Shedrick Pelt)

A substantial part of growth is change, but that change doesn’t necessarily have to come with a consequence of losing yourself. Those more fierce qualities about you, sometimes less than agreeable, don’t have to be muted to move forwarded.

Live Review: Maxo Kream @ U Street Music Hall — 10/25/19

Posted on 10/29/2019 by shedrickpelt in Live Review and tagged hip hop, Houston, Maxo Kream, rap, Texas, U Street Music Hall.

Maxo Kream performs at The Anthem on Oct. 25, 2019. (Photo by Shedrick Pelt)

If the Astros being in the World Series is any sign that the city of Houston is glo-ing up right now then Maxo Kream and his Brandon Banks Tour making its way around the US is the icing on the cake. H-Town has forever been layered with certified artist dating back to the godfather’s DJ Screw, Big Moe, and Devin The Dude. Now it’s Maxo’s time to tell his story about life in Clutch City.

Live Review: Young Thug & Machine Gun Kelly @ The Anthem — 10/22/19

Posted on 10/28/2019 by shedrickpelt in Live Review and tagged hip hop, Machine Gun Kelly, rap, The Anthem, trap, Young Thug.

Machine Gun Kelly performs at The Anthem on Oct. 22, 2019. (Photo by Shedrick Pelt)

A thug and his/her gun has been synonymous with takeovers and revolutions throughout history. Just notating the pairing, alone, interjects a feeling of unchecked power — a power that adds an air of uncertainty to its presence. “How big can this movement really get?”. “How much will it change everything?”

Live Review: Wale @ The Fillmore Silver Spring — 10/9/19

Posted on 10/11/2019 by shedrickpelt in Live Review, Local Spotlight and tagged DC, hip hop, rap, The Fillmore Silver Spring, Wale.

Wale performs at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Oct. 9, 2019. (Photo by Shedrick Pelt)

“Woooow… That’s Craaaaazy” was the phrase I repeated over and over to myself, as the night built for the anxiously awaited return home for DC’s prolific son Wale! This was what it’s supposed to feel like when you’re a hometown hero. The Fillmore Silver Spring was supposed to have a line wrapped around the block. You’re supposed to bring out the homies Q Da Fool & Young Chris. What would normally amount to a ton of pressure, didn’t phase Wale. He just feels the strength: He loves his city and it loves him.